


Completions and Connections

by markijack



Series: 25 Days of Christmas [4]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Christmas, Getting Together, M/M, idk what this is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-12 07:26:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16868659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/markijack/pseuds/markijack
Summary: Chase is perfectly happy to be spending Christmas alone. Really, he is. That guy he's been chasing all year hasn't been on his mind at all.





	Completions and Connections

**Author's Note:**

> Part of my 25 Days of Christmas Songs series - this one is "Christmas Wrapping" by the Waitresses. Sorry it's late/not good - it really didn't want to be written!

The days leading up to Christmas were chaotic in the Septic House. Okay, most days were chaotic in the Septic House, but this weekend was even more hectic than usual as everyone packed their bags to go wherever they were going for the holiday. Jackie and Marvin were taking off together to go skiing. Anti and JJ were spending Christmas at the Iplier House with their respective boyfriends. And Henrik was going to his ex-wife’s to see his kids. Only Chase was staying home. 

Currently, he was in Henrik’s room, trying to talk his friend down from the ledge of insanity he’d worked himself up to. “It’s going to be fine, dude.”

“It is not going to be fine! Somehow it will end up in disaster!” the doctor insisted, desperately running his fingers through his hair in a counterproductive attempt to make it more presentable. He was also getting progressively harder to understand, his voice getting faster and more frantic and his accent getting heavier. “It has been far too long since I have seen them. What if they want nothing to do with me?”

“You’re their dad! Trust me, you’re lucky to be able to see them on Christmas.”

“I am sorry, Chase. I did not mean…”

“It’s ok. I got to see them last weekend. It’s just, I know you want to be in their lives more, and now you have a chance. It’s a good thing.”

“Thank you. I will call you to let you know how it goes. Have a happy Christmas.” He gave Chase a hug and then left. Jackie and Marvin had gone that morning, but he found Anti and JJ in the living room.

“Why are you guys still here?”

“My point exactly,” Anti said.

“We wanted to say goodbye!” JJ explained.

“He wanted to.”

JJ ignored Anti. “Are you sure you’ll be alright here? I don’t have to go. Wilford would understand.”

Chase smiled and pulled him into a hug. “That’s really sweet, man, but I’m fine. It’ll be nice to have the place to myself for a few days. You go have fun!”

He pulled away. “Bye, Anti. Do you want a hug, too?”

“Don’t touch my shit while I’m gone.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Merry Christmas, both of you.”

He spent most of the day enjoying the solitude. He filmed a quick, holiday-themed challenge video for BroAverage, one that wouldn’t require as much editing as his usual stuff, then spent the afternoon watching Netflix. He FaceTimed his kids after they ate their dinner and got to talk to them for awhile, and he ordered himself a pizza when he hung up. 

Henrik called to say all was going well with his family so far. Marvin texted to let him know that neither he nor Jackie had died on the slopes. JJ texted him just to say goodnight, but added, “by the way, Bing asked me about you. Didn’t know you two knew each other?”

“Oh yeah. How’s he doing?”

“He seems well. Do I get to know details?”

“It’s kind of a long story. I’ll tell you when you’re home in a few days.”

But it was in his head now. It was strange to hear someone else mention Bing to him, because Chase felt like he had almost forgotten Bing but also felt like he couldn’t stop thinking of him at the same time. It wasn’t like they ever dated… which was sort of the problem.

When they had first met, it had been… kind of silly. Bing threw every cheesy pick-up line in the book at him, and Chase had laughed at every single one because no one had paid him that kind of attention in quite a while, especially anyone as cute and sweet as Bing. He was half-convinced that Bing was just messing with him until he asked Chase if he wanted to get a drink that weekend, to which Chase had artfully said. “Yes! Wait, no- I mean yes! Definitely! But I can’t this weekend, I uh, have my kids. You know I have kids, right?”

“Kids are cool, bro. Another time, then!”

So they’d exchanged phone numbers. And made a genuine effort. Sort of. Chase liked to think he’d done his part. He’d texted and tried to make plans for the next weekend, but Bing had sent back ‘no can do, dude. I’m apparently a very important part of some Iplier ego plans. Best not to piss Dark off. So, raincheck!’

And that was pretty much how it went for the next few months. Every once in a while, someone would restart the conversation. “Hey, hope you didn’t forget me!” or “Finally free this weekend - you?” Twice they had actually set up a date, but timing truly seemed to be against them. Well, against Chase, at least: the first time a bunch of raw footage had been corrupted, so he had to cancel to reshoot it; the second time, his daughter had been sick and he had to go take care of her. Neither were really avoidable, but honestly, he was a little embarrassed about the whole thing anyway. Since when was just dating someone so hard? He and Stacy had been high school sweethearts, and he hadn’t really seen anyone since the divorce. Was he really that out of practice? He wasn’t sure if it was normal to have this back-and-forth go on for so long.

He typed out “Hey stranger, what’s up with you?” in a text message then erased it instead of sending it. Maybe it was time to let go of this? Maybe Bing wasn’t even interested anymore and was actually trying to avoid him? He put his phone down in frustration and went to bed instead.

The next day was… not as fun. For all he complained about his busy schedule, Chase wasn’t one to just chill out for long. Sure, it was nice to have some time off work, but with all his friends gone and his kids away, he was getting bored. He liked to be around people, to be doing things. Too much quiet gave him time to think, and thinking brought him back to the dark places, it made the yearning for ‘just one drink’ so much louder. He went to bed early.

The next day was Christmas Eve, and Chase woke up to a text from Anti, of all people. “Just realized I left Dark’s present in my room.”

“You coming home to get it?” he responded.

“Can’t you just bring it over here for me? You’ve got nothing better to do.”

It was a fair point. “Fine. Where is it?”

It had been a long time since he’d been to the Iplier house. To his surprise, it was Wilford who opened the door and, rather than inviting him in, he grabbed Chase’s hand and pulled him through the door. “Brody! Lovely to see you again, happy holidays, my friend! To what do we owe the pleasure?!”

“Uh, I was just dropping off something for Anti.”

“Oh, right this way!”

Anti met him in the hallway and took the gift.

“You’re welcome,” Chase said.

Anti rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Like you were doing anything important.”

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” Wilford asked.

“Oh, no, I was just running that over. I can see myself out, thanks,” he said, and turned to walk back to the front door, leaving the others in the hall. He was just walking into the living room when he collided with someone full-force.

“Oh! I’m sorry!”

“Chase?”

“Bing?! What are you doing here? I mean, you live here, but like-”

“What am I doing coming around this corner, at this exact moment?”

“Yeah.”

“I was just going to my room to watch a movie or something. It’s been boring lately, everyone’s busy with their boyfriends. You get it.”

“Believe me, I do.”

“Dude, what? Am I hearing you say that you, Chase Brody, have free time?”

“I guess I am.”

“And we’re spending it here, having a conversation, instead of going out? Pretty bogus, if you ask me.”

Chase laughed. “You know, I am pretty hungry. Do androids eat?”

“No, but I can sit at a table while you do!”

“Well… sure, I guess.”

“A Christmas miracle!” Wilford called from down the hall.

“You two are pathetic,” Anti added.

“Maybe we should leave now.”


End file.
